Hurdles a good Indikator for novice's success

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The rising 11-year-old, who will be favourite for the Awapuni Hurdles tomorrow, has had only two races over fences but had his first schooling session before he raced.

"He's enjoyed it [jumping] since day one," trainer Keith Opie said. "He wouldn't be doing it on race day if he didn't. When he schools he comes back squealing and pig rooting, he just loves it.

"We began schooling him as a three-year-old, in an attempt to improve his appetite. He wouldn't eat and just about sent me over the wall.

"We had to think outside the square and schooling has always been part of his programme since, otherwise he would try to out-think me."

He still doesn't eat a lot but, going by his record, he's eaten enough.

"He's not a big horse, he's 15.2 [hands], and doesn't carry a lot of weight. He's light on his feet and has never been unsound.

"He has little niggly problems now and feels his joints on firm ground but we are all getting older."

Indikator won the Rotorua Cup two starts back and then made it two wins from two races over hurdles with a decisive victory in a restricted open at Hastings.

"We popped him over a couple of fences this morning [Thursday] to let him know he has a hurdle race on Saturday," Opie said.

Indikator had just one jumping race last winter but will have most of his racing over fences this year.

"That was the plan for this year, target the Rotorua Cup and then concentrate on jumping," Opie added.

"And looking at the stakes for the winter handicaps this year, I don't think I will be tempted to change things around. The jumping races are worth more than the main handicaps.

"He [Indikator] is racing for $50,000 this weekend and is on the minimum, while if he waited for the Kiwifruit Cup [at Tauranga next weekend], he would be racing for $40,000 and have 60-61kg."

The richest middle distance handicap on the winter circuit this year is the $65,000 Taumarunui Cup (2100m), a drop of $15,000 on last year's stake. Most of the open races, including the Parliamentary Handicap and Whyte Handicap at Trentham, are worth $25,000.

Indikator is expected to maintain his unbeaten run over hurdles tomorrow, though Opie cautioned that the horse could be vulnerable.

"My one concern is that he's had two very tough runs, first at Rotorua and then when I backed him up [12 days later] over hurdles at Hastings. But that was the only hurdle race at the time that suited him.